Adli’s Dramatic Late Strike Caps Fearless Bournemouth Night as Cherries Outlast Liverpool

Amine Adli delivered a moment Bournemouth supporters will treasure for years, scoring a stoppage-time winner to seal a thrilling Premier League victory over Liverpool and end the visitors’ 13-match unbeaten run at a rain-soaked Vitality Stadium.

In a pulsating contest that swung repeatedly, Adli reacted quickest to a goalmouth scramble in the fifth minute of added time, sending the home crowd into raptures just when it seemed Liverpool’s resilience might earn them a point. The goal crowned a performance full of belief and bravery from Andoni Iraola’s side, who refused to settle for a draw even after being pegged back from a two-goal lead.

Liverpool had shown their trademark fighting spirit to recover late on. With 10 minutes remaining, Dominik Szoboszlai struck his second free-kick of the week to make it 2-2, after Virgil van Dijk had earlier headed them back into contention. Yet Bournemouth continued to press, and their ambition was ultimately rewarded in dramatic fashion.

The match turned sharply during a chaotic seven-minute spell in the first half that proved costly for Liverpool. Evanilson opened the scoring in the 26th minute after Van Dijk failed to clear his lines, with Alex Scott’s sharp ball across goal punishing the lapse. In the same phase, Joe Gomez was injured after colliding with goalkeeper Alisson while trying to block the shot, leaving Liverpool temporarily down to 10 men.

With play continuing as Wataru Endo prepared to come on, Bournemouth took full advantage. In the 33rd minute, Alex Jimenez timed his run perfectly to meet James Hill’s through ball and calmly finished through Alisson’s legs to make it 2-0, underlining the Cherries’ ruthlessness.

Liverpool eventually regrouped and responded impressively. On the brink of half-time, Van Dijk rose highest to head home from a Szoboszlai corner, restoring hope. That belief carried into the second half, and Mohamed Salah cleverly rolled a free-kick into Szoboszlai’s path, allowing the Hungarian midfielder to fire low past Djordje Petrovic for the equaliser.

Both sides sensed victory was there to be claimed. Alisson was forced into a fine save to tip Ryan Christie’s effort over the bar, while at the other end Petrovic produced a stunning stop to deny Florian Wirtz, preserving Bournemouth’s momentum and belief.

As the clock ticked into stoppage time, neither team appeared content with a draw. Bournemouth pushed forward once more, and when the ball broke loose in the Liverpool box, Adli kept his composure to finish and spark wild celebrations. Petrovic sprinted to the touchline to embrace the dugout as the Vitality Stadium erupted in collective joy.

The result hands Liverpool their first defeat since November and extends their wait for a Premier League win in 2026. They remain fourth in the table, while Bournemouth climb to 13th, boosted by a result that could prove pivotal for their confidence.

Despite an injury-hit squad and the mid-season loss of Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City, Iraola’s players produced a fearless, high-energy display in difficult conditions. While they briefly sat deeper in the second half, their willingness to attack late on defined the evening.